Apparatus for condensing lead fumes



(No Model.)

- 0. RMOFPET.

APPARATUS FOR GONDENSING LEAD FUMES. No. 554,945. Patented Feb. 18, 1896.

NR 5 M 0 INVENTOR fiy fi K /lf 6 ATTORNEYS,

AN DREW B GRAHAM. FHUTWUTHQWASHINGWN-D UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER MOFFET, OEJOPLIN, MISSOURI.

APPARATUS FOR CONDENSING LEAD FUMES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,945, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed July 26, 1895. Serial No. 557,198. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, OLIVER R. MOFFET, of Joplin, in the county of Jasper and State of Missouri, have invented a new and Improved Apparatus for Condensing Lead Fumes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to lead-smelting furnaces; and its object is to provide a new and improved apparatus for readily condensing and collecting the valuable particles contained in the fumes arising from the leadsmelting process.

The invention consists of certain parts and details and combinations of the same that will be fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in both the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the apparatus, with part in section; and Fig. 2 is a crosssection of one of the settlin g-chambers on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

The fumes arising in the lead-smeltingfurnace A, during the process of smelting the lead in the usual manner, pass upward through a flue B into a mixing-chamber G, into which leads a flue D connected with the chimney E of an ordinary coal-burning furnace F for generating steam and for other purposes. Dampers E and D are held in the chimney E and flueD to regulate the fiow of the smoke and gases arising from the furnace F-that is, permitting the said smoke and gases either to escape directly through the chimney E at the time the damper E is open and the damper D is closed, or to permit the smoke and gases to pass through the flue D into the mixing-chamber G at the time the damper E is closed and the damper D is open.

If desired, all the smoke and gases may be permitted to escape to the chimney E and be drawn into the flue D by setting thedampers E andD accordingly.

Now the fumes from the lead-smelting furnace A, by coming in contact with the smoke and gases entering the chamber 0 by the flue D, are thoroughly mixed in the mixing-chamher and are drawn from the latter through a flue G by an exhaust-fan II having its dis charge H leading to a series of connected primary settling and cooling hoppers I, each provided with a valved outlet 1. The last of the hoppers in the connected hoppers I is connected by a pipe J with a settling-chamber K, provided in its bottom with one, two or more hoppers K, each having a valved outlet K for removing the lead fumes or white lead from time to time.

In the settling-chamber K are arranged strainers L, mounted to slide longitudinally, and mounted for this purpose on a rod L guided in the heads of the settling-chamber K, the said rod being connected at one end with a lever N to permit the operator to move the strainers L forward and backward in the settling-chamber K. The rear end of the latter is connected by a downwardly-extend ing fine 0 with the lower end of a chimney P, through which the remaining gases, freed of their valuable particles, can pass to the open air.

Each of the strainers L is preferably made of sheep-skin with the wool toward the inletpipe J, and formed with perforations for the escape of the fine gases, it being understood that the wool will not permit any particles or solid matter contained in the gases to pass through the strainer, and consequently the solid matter is retained in the settling-chamber and accumulates in the hoppers K. The shaking motion given to the strainers from time to time by the operator manipulating the lever N causes the solid matter adhering to the wool of the skin to be shaken loose and to drop in the respective hopper K.

It will be seen that by the arrangement described,the fumes from the lead-smelting furnace A are mixed with the smoke and gases from the coal-burning furnace F, so that the said lead fumes are cooled to a considerable extent in the chamber 0, and are then drawn by the fan H out of the said mixing-chamber and forced to the primary hoppers I, and the heavy particles settle in the hoppers I, and at the same time themixed fumes are cooled to a considerable extent, so that when they finally pass into the settling-chamber K the solid matter can readily drop into the hoppers K and accumulate therein.

It will also be seen that the valuable lead particles contained in the fumes from the furnace A, in mixing with the carbon contained in the smoke and gases from the furnace F, become hard and solid besides being cooled, and consequently very readily collect in the primary hoppers I and the final setthug-chamber K, as previously explained.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. An apparatus for condensing lead fumes, comprising a mixing-chamber connected with a lead-smelting furnace and with an ordinary coal-burning furnace, a fan connected with the said mixing-chamber, to draw the mixed fumes therefrom, a settling chamber into which the mixed fumes are discharged from the said fan, and a strainer movably held in the said settling-chamber, each of the strainers being made of a perforated sheep -skin with the wool facing the inlet of the chamber, substantially as shown and described.

2. An apparatus for condensing lead fumes, provided with a scttling-chamber having perforated sheep-skins as strainers, the wool of the sheep-skin facing the inlet of the settlingchamber, substantially as shown and described.

3. I11 an apparatus for condensing lead fumes, a screen, the same being composed of animal skin perforated and having wool or hair 011 one side, substantially as described.

t. In an apparatus for condensing lead fumes, a settling-chamber, the same consisting of a horizontally-c1011 gated upper portion, two hoppers at the lower part of said upper portion, the hoppers being tapered downward and forming the bottom of the same, and strainers mounted to have reciprocal movement longitudinally in the upper portion of the settling chamber, substantially as described.

5. In an apparatus for condensing lead fumes, a settling-chamber, the same comprising a horizontally-elongated upper portion having at one end an inlet-orifice and having at the opposite end an outlet-orifice, a shaft movable longitudinally in the said upper portion, and a strainer carried by the shaft and located within the said upper portion of the settling-chamber, substantially as described.

6. In an apparatus for condensing lead fumes, a settling-chamber, the same comprising a horizontally-elongated upper portion, two downwardly-tapering hoppers forming the bottom of said upper portion, the upper portion having an inlet and outlet orifice respectively at its ends, a rod longitudinally movable in the upper portion of the settling chamber, and two strainers fixed to the rod, one strainer being located between the hoppers and the remaining strainer beinglocated adjacent to the outlet-orifice of the upper portion of the settling-chamber, the two strainers being adapted to have movement with the rod, substantially as described.

7. In an apparatus for condensing lead fumes, furnaces, a cooling-chamber in communication therewith, a settling chamber raised above the cooling-chamber, hoppers forming the bottom of the settling-chamber, said hoppers being tapered downward, a pipe connecting the cooling-chamber withthe elevated settling-chamber, a chimney having its base level with the cooling-chamber, and a flue extending downwardly from the settlingehamber to the base of the chimney, substantially as described.

OLIVER R. l\[0l lE'l. lVitnesses:

MARTIN \VILooX, IIOVVARD II. HAVEN. 

